Regret and Forgiveness
by MaxwellsBook
Summary: *S4 Finale Spoilers!* Discord feels overwhelmingly guilty for trusting Tirek. Walking home with Fluttershy, he admits his emotions to her. Christian fic. One-shot. :)


The celebration of Tirek's defeat was now drawing to a close. The sun was setting, and moonlight was beginning to cover every part of Equestria. Everypony was beginning to set off towards home; tired, yet extremely happy and grateful that they were free from Tirek's tyranny.

Fluttershy had opted to leave a bit early, considering her animals; which, in the chaos of the day, hadn't been fed. She slowly walked out of Twilight's new castle.

Twilight's new castle...she turned and gave the castle a good look. It glittered in the pale moonlight.

Fluttershy smiled, sighing a small, happy sigh. Twilight deserved this castle one hundred percent.

She turned, and began walking towards home. Suddenly, a white flash lit up the night, and the familiar sound of magic filled her ears. She looked up to see Discord standing in front of her, giving her an uncertain look.

"Oh, hello, Discord."

Discord frowned, avoiding her gaze. "I've...I've come to walk you home, Fluttershy. I want to make_ sure _that you get home safely. I just couldn't let you walk there by yourself." he said in a quiet, meek voice.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to remind him that she only lived across Ponyville, but the expression on his face-meek and saddened-made her stop. She only nodded up at him, and began walking forward down the path in her slow gait.

Discord lowered himself to all fours, and began walking close beside her. His tail was down, dragging the ground, and his head was bowed down low. The two of them walked together for a while without saying anything; the soft chirping of crickets was the only sound in the gentle night.

Fluttershy heard the draconequus sigh deeply. She turned a little to look at his face. He slowly met her gaze with tear-filled eyes. "Again and again you prove your friendship and kindness to me. You have shown me nothing _but _kindness." he said.

He bit his lip, his ears drooping. "But all I ever seem to do is dishonor that...and...o-oh _Fluttershy_...how can you still call yourself my _friend_...a-after..._**a-after what I did**_?!_ H-how can you f-forgive me for that_?!"

Discord suddenly broke into deep sobs that began to wrack his whole body, and his shaky legs gave way, leaving him on the ground. He placed two mismatched arms over his eyes as he sobbed. "_How c-can you, Fluttershy?! H-how?!_" he choked.

Fluttershy's eyes widened, and she immediately stepped forward, easing herself under his neck, and rubbing her muzzle comfortingly against his chest. "_Oh, Discord_..." she murmered.

She stayed there and waited for him to regain himself. And, eventually, the sobs lessened, soon melting into quiet sniffles.

"Tirek tricked you, Discord. It's not your fault." Fluttershy told him in a stern, yet gentle, voice. "Don't blame yourself for what happened. It could have happened to any of us."

"No, it couldn't have, and you know that!" Discord exclaimed. "_You_ would have _never _done something so _horrible_! Your pony friends wouldn't have, either! None of you would have _ever _listened to Tirek!"

The sobs returned once more, and the tears streamed freely down the draconequus's face. "I don't t-think I can ever forgive m-myself for what I d-did to you." he choked. "For what I did to you, to Twilight, t-to Pinkie...to _everypony_..."

Fluttershy raised her hoof and quietly stroked his neck as he continued on.

"I could have stopped Tirek _so easily_! But I _didn't_! I was so utterly selfish, a complete monster...I _knew_ what I was doing was wrong...so utterly and completely wrong..." Discord whimpered. "Why didn't I stop when I still could have, instead of risking all of your lives?"

His eyes were wide as he stared into hers, and full of fear and regret. "Tirek c-could have..._k-killed Twilight in that battle! He could have killed Tia. Killed Luna. K-killed..._**you**! _K-killed_-"

"But he didn't, Discord. We're okay now. Everypony is okay now. Tirek is back in Tartarus where he belongs." Fluttershy assured him.

"That's not the point though! The point is that I'm just an utterly selfish, horrible creature who could have saved everypony single-clawedly before the situation got critical, but _didn't_. And that you-you are the most wonderful pony who has ever existed. _Ever_."

Fluttershy grabbed his muzzle and gently pulled him close to her so she could look directly into his eyes. "You can't change the past, Discord. You have to forgive yourself. And, remember...you're still only _learning _about friendship. Everypony makes mistakes. Please forgive yourself for what happened because I forgive you, Twilight forgives you, Princess Celestia forgives you..._nopony _thinks you are as terrible as _you_ think _you_ are right now."

"You're only saying that. You represent Kindness, after all. Of course you'd say things like that to soothe my feelings."

"Maybe I do represent Kindness...but, Kindness or not, I'm saying these things from my _heart_. You've learned from this experience, Discord, and nothing can ever take that lesson away from you. You're stronger now, and you know more about friendship than you ever have. No one will ever be able to trick you again if you remember that." Fluttershy said sternly.

Discord was quiet, looking into her eyes, still looking utterly regretful and resentful towards himself.

"And, you're wondering how I can forgive you? Well..." Fluttershy smiled, and said gently, "I forgive because I've been forgiven, Discord. I learned when I was a filly that there was Someone who could forgive me no matter what. Someone who will instantly forgive me for _anything_, should I seek that forgiveness. And Who can also instantly wipe those sins away and take them away _forever_."

Discord blinked, giving her a look that was half confusion and half surprise. "You? _Sin_? How could _you _ever do anything like...I did? And _who_ could take a pony's sins away..._forever_?"

"Nopony is perfect, Discord. Everypony has sinned. I have...plenty of times. But He's forgiven me every single time, and He'll never stop forgiving me." Fluttershy explained. "If you ask for His forgiveness, you can be free from the things you've done in the past. They will be forever wiped away."

"But...you're _easy _to forgive, Fluttershy...you're so _kind_, and _beautiful_, and full of _friendship_ and _love_. Just look at me-I'm your polar oppisite! The One your talking about...He could never forgive me for what I did to everypony."

"_He can, and He will, if you ask Him_. _No one can do _**anything** that is too terrible to be forgiven." Fluttershy said in a voice that was far more self-assured and assertive than she usually had.

She gave him a kind, wide smile, and found her place on the path again, in front of him. "Let's finish walking home, and I'll introduce you to Him."

Discord gave her a confused look, but followed her as she started her slow gait. "He's at your cottage?"

Fluttershy turned and gave a small chuckle. "You'll see soon enough, Dissy."

* * *

**_I hope you enjoyed this Christian MLP fic :) God really does forgive anyone who asks him, no matter what they've done in the past._**


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